1) How do you motivate yourself to work out so often?

I’m at the gym anyway, so, for one, it’s not like I have to leave my desk job and force myself to head to the gym.

I also make sure not to give myself excuses. In my car/gym bag, at any given time, I have snacks, pre-workout drinks, water, a good playlist, running shoes, Crossfit shoes, extra shirts/shorts/sports bras, gum, a pre-written workout, and couple little quotes to read if I’m feeling desperately unmotivated.

I also always schedule working out in my calendar. I schedule out my day down to the minute so always penciling in time for even a 20 minute workout helps me stay motivated knowing I have it planned out to fit everything else in my day along with my workout.

2) Some places I read 6 small meals, some places I read 3 meals–how many times a day should I eat?

I tell all of my clients to eat when they’re hungry.

I think a lot of people’s weightloss problems are two-fold:

1) They’re eating too often. Most people, especially if they’re sitting at a desk, in a car, or are sedentary all day, do not need 6 meals. (You’re not doing enough for your body to possibly need that much food!)

2) On top of eating too often, folks are eating too much. (Portion sizes, if you’re eating more than 3 times per day, should be “snack size.”)

Too much food too often= weight gain OR maintenance if you’re physically active most days of the week.

We’ve lost touch with listening to our bodies(I have a blog post coming up about things your body might be telling you and you’re not listening!!). Make good food choices when you’re hungry. Don’t worry what time of day it is, what your metabolism is doing, etc. (By the way– I’m proof that your metabolism does not slow down if you don’t eat every 2-3 hours. My eating schedule is all over the place and I feel more in my groove with eating than ever!)

3) How did you and Mark meet?

I thought it was funny that someone wanted to know this.

So, the short version of the story is this:

Mark was the night-time DJ at the local Top 40 radio station for many years. At one point, I interned with his boss (also my good friend) at the same radio station. Mark, the diligent guy that he is, always came in early to the studio to prep for his show so I would try to get introduced to him, bump into him…anything. It never really worked.

I had a major crush…then I found out that he had a long-time girlfriend.

About a year or so after giving up on my radio station crush, I was no longer interning at the radio station and my friend/Mark’s boss called me to tell me that Mark and his girlfriend had broken up, we were both invited to his birthday party, and we should talk and hang out with each other there.

Well, we both ended up going to the party, having a great time and when I went to leave, Mark walked me out and grabbed my hand to cross the busy street to where my car was parked. His sweet hand-holding gesture had me smitten.

From that point on, we pretty much immediately started dating.

Again, there’s a much more detailed version that if you’re ever interested in, I’ll tell you in person! 🙂

4) How do you stay positive all the time?

Ha! I like this question!

The truth is that I’m not always positive.

I’m hard on myself, I have “off” days. I have days where I’m annoyed with everything. Days that I’m tired, stressed, and just generally overwhelmed. I work very hard, though, if I feel myself starting to put negativity out towards Mark, my clients, friends, family, the old lady taking forever to check out at the grocery store– whomever!– I always think of this (it’s a picture on my phone that I look at least once a week!):

This means that I do a few extra things to make Mark happy, call a friend I haven’t spoken to in a while, write a thank-you card or text message to someone who I’m grateful for, or just be really, really nice to people in general, even when I don’t feel like it at all. (I’m definitely a work in progress with this!)

5) What’s a new food that I’m not eating, that I should be eating?

Delicious– Hemp Hearts have a slightly nutty taste, but it’s subtle! Easy – Sprinkle Hemp Hearts on salad, cereal & yogurt, add to smoothies and recipes, or eat them straight from the package!Nutritious– per 30 gram serving, Hemp Hearts contain 10 grams of plant-based protein and 10 grams of Omegas. Hemp Hearts have more protein and omegas and less carbs than the same serving of chia or flax.

I use them in everything! On top of salads, in my daily green smoothie (I love the crunch that they add to my smoothies!), and in my Overnight Oats. They’re so versatile and SO great for you! I especially recommend these little guys if you’re looking to add some “sticking” power to your snack. With protein and quality fats, even just a serving of Hemp Hearts packs a nutritious punch of energy!

All thanks to Sweat Pink and Manitoba Harvest, if you want to try some Hemp Hearts or any other fun nutritional hemp product (they also have a GREAT hemp-based protein if you are completely lactose intolerant!), use code “HHSweatPink14” for 20% everything on Manitoba Harvest’s website!

Full disclosure: As an ambassador of Sweat Pink, the sweet people at Manitoba Harvest sent me a packet of these little guys over to me to try. I loved them so much that I wanted to be sure to share their awesomeness with you!

6) How many times a week should I work out?

I don’t really think there’s a “correct” amount of workout time per week. I tell all of my clients to be as active as possible every day. Walk everywhere, stand as much as possible, take the stairs, chase your kids, hike, run, climb, play, swim, paddle, pull, push, dance, pick up heavy stuff.

Lift weights and do about 20-30 minutes of interval training about 3 times per week. Beyond this, I say, just stay off the couch!

I’m a thirty-something living on the beach in Northeastern Florida with my husband, Mark, and our son, Hudson. I am an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and my current job as well as my absolute favorite way of getting fit and sweaty is through group circuit training at GO HQ. I am also specialized in nutrition through the Precision Nutrition program.